a huge flashy diamond by way of Kingston staking his claim.”
“I didn’t want a ring. And I’m nobody’s claim.”
He shrugged. “Even a marriage of convenience needs some fripperies to make it look authentic.”
Why did he have to make it sound so grubby? She preferred to think there was a certain nobility in what she’d agreed to do, but he brought it all down to a base level.
“Convenience is as good a reason as any to tie yourself up with a man.”
“You’ve gotten cynical.”
She took a swig of her own drink, hoping it would salve her dry throat. “I prefer realistic.”
He drew in a long breath, bringing her attention to the breadth of his chest as it expanded beneath his shirt. Snapping off his seat belt, he stood. “Hungry?”
“No, I’m not fucking hungry.” Irritation warred with anger, which mixed headily with frustration.
“Your language is pretty ripe, princess. It doesn’t become that virginal little outfit you’re wearing.”
The dress felt like a strait-jacket now, tightening around her ribcage with each mile they flew farther away from London. She snapped off her seat belt, reached up and ripped off the stupid tiara along with the recalcitrant veil. “Well, we both know different, don’t we?”
He had the grace to look momentarily peeved, then a rakish smile stretched across his mouth. “And you loved every minute.”
God. She had. Every single hot and hormone-rattling moment. He’d brought out some kind of sex-crazed woman she hadn’t been aware lived inside her, and nobody else had come close to resurrecting that part of her since. She’d reconciled herself to the thought that maybe she’d fallen so hard for Gabe because he’d been so incredibly good at sex. No other man made her feel a fraction of the intensity she’d enjoyed with Gabe.
“I won’t insult us both by trying to insinuate that I didn’t enjoy sex with you. And I’m not bolstering your ego, because it’s already floating amongst the planets. I’m simply stating a fact.”
Now his smile positively flashed, sexy and wicked.
She turned away from his sinfully handsome face, already out of sorts without adding her physical reaction to Gabe to the mix.
Her breathing deepened, a surge of desire smouldering through her veins. If the damn dress got any tighter around her chest, she would likely collapse from lack of air. Which reminded her...
“What happens when we land? Am I expected to parade around Monte Carlo looking like some crazed reject from Bridezilla?”
“Now, there’s a thought.”
“Considering all this must have been planned, I assume you took into account that I’d need a change of clothes.”
“Of course.”
She huffed. “What? Did you break into my apartment and rifle around in my wardrobe?”
“As much fun as rummaging around in your underwear would be, I didn’t choose that particular route.” His raunchy grin made her stomach flutter ridiculously. “Why don’t you go change before we land?”
She stood, gathering up her skirts. He gave her a quick once-over, an appreciative gleam lighting his eyes. “Want me to unzip you?”
The question zoomed her back two years to when he’d first undressed her. Slowly. She’d been incredibly nervous for some reason, but after they’d made love, she’d barely made it out of his bed for the whole week.
Best to cut off that particular line of thought before it led her down the road to emotional ruin. “I think you’ve done enough, thanks. I don’t want you doing anything for me. Except to give me a phone, lend me some money and hand over my passport, which I assume you have, since I’m not sure even you can wangle your way through airport security without one.”
“I needed to get you away. It’s for your own good, Maddie. You’ll soon see that.”
She chose not to respond to that, since she couldn’t do anything thousands of feet in the air. Once they landed, she would get back control of the situation.
The prospect of that renewed her energy levels, but for effect she subjected him to a steady glower, then turned toward the back of the plane.
“First door on the left.”
She resisted the urge to flip him the finger and instead gathered up her skirts and walked, as dignified as she could, toward the bathroom.
Inside she slid the lock and looked around. Marble sinks and surrounds, gleaming steel fittings—nothing less would satisfy someone of Gabe’s exacting tastes. Heeling off her shoes, she sighed as her feet touched the cool marble-tiled floor. After wriggling her toes, she reached around and unhooked the catch on the dress. With some difficulty she managed to get the zipper down, slipped the dress over her hips and stepped out. It felt so good to be out of that damn dress.
She looked around, searching for the change of clothes Gabe had arranged. Finding nothing hanging up, she went to the floor-to-ceiling cupboard in the corner and found that empty, too.
A tap sounded at the door.
Since she was in her underwear, she grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it around herself. “What?”
“Everything okay?”
“Where’s that change of clothes you said you had for me?”
“Open the door.”
Which probably meant he was about to give them to her. She tightened the towel, clung to the fastening between her breasts and slid open the lock. Teasing open the door a measly few inches, she stuck her free hand through and grabbed hold of what he offered before slamming the door shut again.
Stepping back, she held out the fabric and recognised a man’s white linen shirt. “Is this supposed to be funny?” She crumpled the shirt in her hands. “You said you had fresh clothes for me.”
“That shirt’s fresh. Cleaned and pressed.”
She barely resisted the urge to scream out her frustration, but that would give him exactly what he wanted. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Since she had no intention of getting back into the wedding gown, which was strewn on the floor where she’d left it, she held up the shirt and gauged that it would at least cover the essentials. Since he was playing her, she would return the compliment. “Do you have a spare belt?”
“Belt?”
“Yeah. If I’m going to wear this shirt in public, it needs a belt. Something to make it look chic.”
It was hard to resist smiling at the sound of his muffled curse. Spurred on by the feel-good factor of having him on his back foot, she stepped closer to the closed door.
“I can wear the heels again, so they’re okay, but I really need that belt.”
Opening
